Web-feeding apparatus.



1". A. DOWLERI.

WEB FEEDING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED DEO.10, 1913..

1 1 22 87 Patented Dec. 29, 1914.

2 S HEETS-SHEET l. Q\\ Q w a a F. A. D OWLER. WEB FEEDING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED DBO. 10I 1913.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

WITNESSES 1 Patented Dec. 29, 1914.

U ITED STATES PATENT curios.

FRANK A. nownnn, or LAWRENCE, Kansas.

',WE'.B-FEEDING ArPARATus q Application filed December 10, 1913. SeriaI No. 805,739;

To all whom itmay concern Be it known that I, FRANK A. DOWLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lawrence, in. the county of Douglas and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Web-Feeding Apparatus; and I do declare the following to bea full, "clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, tion. a p

My inventionrelates to web feeding apparatus, and more particularly .to an apparatus of that character for use in connection with corrugating machines, printing presses, or the like, wherein a continuous strip of paper which form a part ofthis specificais run from one roll through the machine onto another roll, and treated in some manner during its travel; the principal object of the present invention being to provide means for retarding the feeding roll as it diminishes in diameter, in order, that the pull or drag of the continuous sheet may be substantially constant during the entire feeding period. In accomplishing this object, I provide the improved details of'structure hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure I is a perspective view of a web feeding apparatus containing my improvements, and illustrating its combination with a main machine of any suitable type; the roller indicated in the illustration merely indicating a printing, corrugating, or like roller. Fig. II is an end View of the retarder, showing the manifold with its valve. Fig. III is a plan view of the retarder,

. showing the crank case cylinders and mani fold. Fig. IV is a centgal transverse section of the parts illustrated 1n Fig. III.

Referring more in detail to the parts 1 designates an apparatus, such as a printing or corrugating press, upon which the feeding or retarding parts constituting my invention are mounted, and which comprises a roll 2 of the class used in printing presses,

. or on corrugating machines, and which is yieldingly pressed against a sheet of paper 3, which is carried through the apparatus between a base plate'( not shown), and the roll 2.

von brackets 11 at the started, inaorder to The sheet 3 may be of substantial length and is initially wound on a-core 4 and sup ported by means ;,of...th ,e ii @aft. 5, from brackets 6 atone end oflth'emain a;'pparatus, and run' fromthemain roll- :toa similar core 8, onv a shaft 9, journaled in b'earin' s10 opposite endszwo the apparatus, so that. the continuousisheet of paper is drawn beneath theprintingor corrugatmg roll and treated during such-travel.

It is a well known fact that considerable; more power must be exerted at the windingend of. the sheet when the rewinding is overcome the Weightand friction of the full initial roll, and it is to? overcome variation in the pull or drag of the; initial roll as its diameter decreases, andto I maintain a constant pull on the winding. roll; l

as the. weight and consequent work requiredv at that end of the apparatus increases,. that i Iprovide my improvements.

Referring first to'the winding end ofithe' apparatus:- l3. designates a sprocket Wheel; on the shaft 9, and ,14 a chain belt which. operatively connects the sprocket Wheel;13:.s0. with a similar wheel 15, on a shaft member. 16, which is journaled in bearings 17- adjar cent the end of the main frame and is fixed; i in a crank case 21, which latter is revolubly: mounted on a drive shaft 16. The drive; shaft 16 is provided with a pulley wheel 18,, which is driven, through a b source of power (not shown).

The crank case '21, which mounted on the drive shaft 16 and fixedtoieo the shaft 16, is provided with a plurality of cylinders 22, each having an automatic air intake valve 23, and exhaust valve 24=;'the latter having a conduit 25 for establishing communication between its respective cylinder and a manifold 26, and that is carried by the conduits and is common to all of the cylinders. y

The manifold 26 is provided with a pop valve 27 of any ordinary type, whereby air contained within the manifold and fed thereto through the cylinders is automatically relieved when a determined pressure has been reached in the manifold, in order to maintain the pressure and work of the apparatus within determined limits.

Each of the cylinders 22 contains a piston 29 having a rod 30 mounted on a wrist pin 31, that projects from a crank member 32 on the drive shaft 16, so that when the drive 110 shaft is revolved by the prime mover, the pistons are reciprocated in their cylinders to is revolubly I manifold; the detail manifold, so that when, pressure pf the air within the manifold is "suflicient to overcome the load on the shaft 16, rotation vof the drive shaft vis transmitted to thecrank case and the shaft 16 revolved to drivethe belt 14 and thereby wind the continuous sheet of paper on the core 8.

As the speed of the drive shaft is constant and necessarily greater than the drivenshaft, even when the web is first commencing to wind on its shaft, each revolution of the driven shaft increases the diameter of the roll, and as travel of the web is retarded to insure constant speed of the web over a given point intermediate the unwinding and winding positions, it is apparent that speed of the driven shaft must decrease relative to the speed of the drive shaft as the diameter of the roll increases. It is also apparent that as the speed of the driven shaft decreases the work required for its rotation increases, owing to the additional weight and leverage on the winding shaft, but that as the driven shaft slows down, the ratio between the revolution of the driven shaft and strokes of thepiston increases, thereby increasing the relative displacement of air and consequently the efiiciency of the transmission, and thereby tending to maintain constant tension on the web. It is also apparent, that if during this operation the pressure within the manifold should exceed that required for operating the pop valve 27, the latter will open to relieve the manifold, thereby providing against accident to the apparatus or breaking of the sheet of paper should it be held unduly on the initial roll. I provide a somewhat similar device at the initial end of the printing or corrugating press, except that the crank case and parts operatively connected therewith are fixed against revolution with the roll shaft, and the pistons operated constantly'with the latter shaft to generate pressure within the construction of the device comprising a crank case 34, which is mounted on one of the brackets 6 by metal straps, or the like 35 and has a laterally directed collar 36 through which a crank shaft 37 is projected; the crank shaft 37 having an end socket 38 adapted to fit over the end of the roll shaft 5, and being provided with transverse slots 39 for receiving pins 40 on the roll shaft to key the shafts together.

The crank case 34 is provided with cylinders 22 having intake valves 23, outlet valves 24 and conduits 25 communicating'with the manifold 26, and having pistons 29 provided with rods 30 having crank connection with the shaft 37; such parts in the present With this construction,-

' in such parts eter of the roll, so that the greatest must beexerted when the diameter of paper, and

I I 1 dev1ce corresponding in construction and arrangement with like parts bearing similar numerals in the-device at the winding end of the main apparatus; the only difference being that the crank case is fixed and free from the roll shaft, instead of being revoluble on the shaft as in the first vinstance. i

The manifold 26- in the device on the unwinding shaft is provided'with a pop valve 27 similarto that on'thewinding case, is further provided with a non-automatic valve 42, the stem 43 of which is provided with a crank member 44.

The crank member 44 has a link 45 connected with a. crank member 46 on a shaft 47 that extends across is revolubly mounted in bearings 48 on brackets 49 rising from such frame. Fixed on the shaft 47 is an arm 51 of sullicient weight to lower automatically against the frictional tension in the valve 42 and having a roller 52 adapted for hearing on the roll of paper that is to be unwound from the shaft 5.

With a full roll on the unwinding shaft, pull on the web exerts a leverage on the roll and crank shafts proportional to the diambrake power is greatest and reduced as the diameter is reduced.-

When the roll of paper is first placed in the press, the arm 51 is raised so as to revolve the shaft 47 and restrict the opening of the valve 42 to confine air in the manifold and crank case so that the pistons must work against the pressure fold and crank case, thereby reducing the speed of the crank shaft as its work is increased. As the press continues to operate and the sheet of paper is drawn from the unwinding roll onto the winding roll, the diameter of the unwinding roll decreases and the arm 51 is lowered; the lowering of the arm gradually opening the valve to allow escape of air from the manifold, and thereby gradually decreasing the work of the pistons as the creased. -As the pistons have fixed connection with the roll shaft 5, the shaft 5 is decreasingly retarded as the valve 42 is gradually opened, so that the roll pulls back under the same tension as its diameter decreases, and thereby co'ciperates with the regulating device on the winding end to maintain a constant pressure on the sheet a constant pull on the motor; therebyobviating irregularity of the winding operation and insuring better results from the printing, corrugating, or other apparatus withwhich the regulators are used.

It is apparent that by providing the unwinding regulator with the pop valve,

but

the main frame 1, and

held in the mani-i shaft adapted for pressure in the manifold is automatically relieved at a determined point, in order to obviate looking or excess drag on the roll which might result in breaking or stretching of the continuous sheet that is being unwound.

Having thus described my invention, what I'claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is

1. A web feeding apparatus comprising a fluid pressure regulator connected with said shaft and provided with a valve, and a weighted arm adapted for following coni tact with the rolled web and having crank connection with said valve, whereby the valve is opened to vary the pressure in the regulator proportionately to the variation of the diameter of the roll.

2. Web feeding apparatus comprising a shaft for carrying a rolled web, an airpump having a piston operatively connected carrying a rolled web, a v

with the shaft, a valve for sure in said pump, and means operatively connected With the valve and adapted for following contact with the web roll for automatically varying the valve opening as the diameter of the roll is altered.

3. Web feeding apparatus comprising a web shaft, a pump having a piston operatively connected with said shaft, a valve for controlling pressure in said pump, a stem projecting from said valve, and a weighted arm adapted for following contact with a roll on said shaft, and having crank connection with said valve stem, whereby the valve is actuated as the diameter of the roll is varied.

In testimony whereof I aflix mysignature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK A. nowLEa.

controlling pres- Vv'itnesses:

W. A. CHURCHILL, L. B. TRIBBLE. 

